Professional women get a hybrid career boost | David Sapstead

The increase in hybrid working after the pandemic has encouraged large numbers of vocationally educated women in the UK – especially mothers – to return to full-time work, new research has shown.

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The report from the Commission on Hybrid and Remote Working, based on research by management consultancy Public First, also found that hybrid working has proven invaluable when it comes to recruiting and retaining companies, especially given the country’s long-standing skills gap.

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The research will provide recommendations on hybrid working

According to research, hybrid working is worth £13.5 billion a year, with hybrid employees valuing the positive effects it has on work-life balance and wellbeing.The panel consists of techUK Zoom and Vodafone members, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Peter Chase, and representatives from Indeed, Liverpool John Morris University, Northern Powerhouse Partnership and Prospect Union.It was established to study the rapid growth of hybrid working and make recommendations on how the government should respond to the rise of the practice.

The key to hybrid working for inclusive workplaces

Julian David, CEO of techUK, said: “It is essential to harness the full potential of hybrid working for everyone, as it holds the key to fostering more inclusive and accessible workplaces.” Government intervention is necessary to provide comprehensive guidelines and support to enable all companies to benefit from the benefits of hybrid and remote working. Children and other dependents.But now, Public First research shows that women who are able to work primarily from home are far more likely to embrace full-time work than those who work primarily away from home.“This is even more so in families with dependent children,” said Jude Wilson, a policy analyst at Public First. “Industry data shows significant increases in the share of women in professional services (banking, ICT and other professional services) working full-time between 2019 and 2023, and even more so when we look at those with children.”

Practices to support hybrid working

The report recommends that employers create moments of meaningful interaction, communication, and collaboration by ensuring that employees have a reason to be at their desks when they are asked to do so.It also says the government, working with relevant bodies, should develop guidelines to support companies to measure productivity in hybrid and remote working environments.Additionally, the report recommends that employers offer executives and those with management responsibilities training on remote work to help them support their hybrid teams.Other proposals include: – A government review of parental leave policies and the impact they could have on reinforcing gender divisions in the workplace. – The Government, in consultation with businesses, will introduce a national strategy for remote and hybrid working to ensure that remote working “is a permanent feature of the UK workplace in a way that maximizes economic, social and environmental benefits”. – The National Infrastructure Commission’s study of the emergence of hybrid and remote working for inclusion in its second National Infrastructure Assessment due to be published later this year.The research found that the vast majority of employers offering hybrid working said it helped recruit and retain staff, with companies estimating they saved between £6.9 billion and £10.3 billion a year in recruitment costs alone, thanks to improved retention due to hybrid working.Additionally, companies said they found that hybrid and remote working made it easier for them to hire from a wider range of backgrounds. “The majority of companies said it helped them employ more parents, carers and those from different regions of the country, while a significant minority said it increased their ability to employ people with disabilities.”It also found that two-thirds of companies felt hybrid and remote working could boost productivity or not negatively impact it. Among hybrid workers themselves, 46 percent felt they were more productive at home.

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